12 Pleasant Effects of a Digital Detox That Make It Worth the Struggle

Social media have become an integral part of our lives. They make our personal and business communications easier and unite people with similar interests around the entire world. We spend around 2,5 hours a day checking our feed. So, an average social media user spends more than 1 month on online communication per year. Some digital minimalists were so impressed with this number, that they decided to take a break.

CHEERY found out what positive changes will happen to you if you stop using social media. These facts about digital detox will change your entire way of life, or at least, will draw your attention to your screen time.

Your respiratory function will improve.

Digital detox is good for those who are used to checking their social media, sitting on the couch. A study showed that sitting when using your smartphone can hinder your respiratory function. It happens to low muscle activity of the checks and changes of the biomechanics. You will breather deeper if you cut down on social media and do something different.

You won’t overeat as much.

Scientists found a link between overeating and seeing the feed with photos of delicious foods. Photos of delicious food make us hungry even when we’re physiologically full. This is especially dangerous for obese people.

It’s highly likely that you will stop overeating if you stop checking your feed. Digital detox will help you get rid of the trigger that makes you want to eat something.

Your eyes will feel better.

When you don’t use social media, you considerably cut down the time you spend in front of the screen. And your eyes will thank you for that. According to experts, every second user suffers from eye strain. And if you are in this 50%, the positive changes will come.

Working at a computer or laptop for a long time is the biggest part of the eyestrain we have. But phones can also cause dryness and eye irritation, headaches, and blurry vision. Fortunately, it’s possible to decrease the negative effect by using artificial tears and controlling the time you spend using your phone.

Your posture will improve.

Just think about the unnatural position your body is when you’re looking through your feed. Slouched back and stretched neck can lead to chronic joint pain, reflux, digestive problems, and bad blood circulation.

Using your social media less will improve your posture. Of course, don’t forget about the basic rules of using a cell phone and follow them if a phone is your main working tool. Experts recommend holding at the eye level, let your elbows rest regularly, and use voice dictation instead of manual typing of texts.

Your productivity will increase.

Social media are constantly distracting you from important tasks. When you take a break to check your Instagram or send a text, you go into the multitasking mode.

Despite popular stereotypes, multitaskers do things way slower. According to recent studies, multitasking reduces your productivity for 40%. Just think about how much energy you can save if you stop using social media and do one thing at a time.

Your anxiety will decrease.

Social media is a dopamine machine, just like tasty foods. All of them activate the reward center in your brain, making you come back for more and more. Unfortunately, social media doesn’t only cause addiction, but also anxiety, depression, and even physical distress.

At the very beginning of your digital detox, the stress level can grow. The brain gets used to a certain amount of dopamine, and reacts to the detox with a withdrawal syndrome. But several days later, you will feel better and realize your mental state has improved.

Your sleep will improve.

A 2018 British Study proved that using social media leads to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep. It’s especially important not to use phones in the evening. And according to recent studied, this is exactly what most people do — check their social media in bed.

When we check our feed, the blue light, emitted by our phones, signals our brain that it’s daylight. As a result, the production of melatonin slows down, and we have problems falling asleep. Fortunately, if you change this habit, you can sleep deeper and better, which is absolutely necessary to your health.

You will save more money.

Stop using social media is good for family budget. According to statistics, almost half of millennials said that social media had an impact on their expenses on impressions. People didn’t only buy things because of something they saw on social media, but also spent more money on restaurants and vacations.

Your concentration problems will disappear.

Not using social media also means you will have way fewer push notifications on your phone. Along with that, you will be able to focus better. At least, according to one scientific study. Scientists found that push notifications make people do their tasks worse and have a negative effect on cognitive functions and concentration.

FOMO will go away.

FOMO, or fear of missing out, is something that many people experience. It’s linked to using social media. A recent study showed that the more time we spend online, the more FOMO we have.

FOMO has an effect on your health. This fear makes your mood worse, you feel tired, stressed, and you have sleep problems. If you use social media less, you can shake off this fear and feel an improvement in your mental state.

Your attitude to your own body will improve.

Everyone knows that Instagram feed has nothing to do with real life. But still, social media has a negative effect on how we see our bodies. People see edited photos of perfect bodies and develop insecurities. Editing selfies is another traumatizing experience.

Experts recommend unsubscribing from all the accounts that make you experience negative emotions about your body. Find body positivity communities and rest from social media from time to time.

Your social skills with improve.

Digital detox can be beneficial to your communication skills. This is especially important, when it comes to kids. The development of social skills is very important for the new generation. A temporary pause in using devices and social media helps children learn how to interact with other people in real life.

Do you limit the time you spend on social media? Have you ever tried digital detox?